One of the most popular campaign killers is in the ‘copy cat’ routine.
This happens when a new email marketer (and it’s also happened with
seasoned marketers), decide to promote a recent product launch and
rather than create their own promotional material, or take a more
personal approach when addressing their subscriber base, they simply
copy and paste existing promotional material offered by the product
developer.
If you’re involved in internet marketing you’ve probably experienced
this first hand. All of a sudden, on product launch day, you receive
15 emails from 15 different email marketers all containing the exact
same content!
There is no easier way to destroy your credibility and put yourself
at risk of losing subscribers than by doing this. So whenever you
plan to promote a third party product (of any kind), always write the
promotional material yourself.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to make your promotion
unique and targeted directly to your list. Don’t become a copy cat,
it will kill your business.
Hi Bryan,
I finally got here!
I have just done my rounds checking on everyone that has been commenting and now I am back for my own commenting!
First I would like to say Thank You Thank You Thank You for being such an awesome contributor to the challenge and as far as I can tell you have just about visited everyone! :mrgeen:
Absolutely Awesome!
I just hope everyone else honours their commitment to the challenge and visits everyone’s blogs as soon as they can.
re emails. I hate the copycat emails that are complete copy and paste. You would think they could just edit them slightly to add their own personality.
When I see copycats, that is when I know all theyy care about is the dollar!
See you back here soon!
Cheers
Jacinta
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
@Jacinta Dean,
Hi Jacinta,
Thanks for calling over…it has been an incredible month and thanks for letting me join the 100 post challenge.
I have met some awesome people here…my IM life has changed forever for the better.:-)
Good meeting you Jacinta …”I’ll be back”
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan
It’s good to meet you here on the Challenge
I couldn’t agree more with your views on copycat emails! There is no bigger turn-off than opening a dozen or more identical emails promoting the same product. If the marketer can’t be bothered to write their own email, then why should we be bothered to read it and buy through their link?
Kind regards
Lynn
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
@LynnN@Online Auction Ideas,
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
My thoughts too…it does not take too much to change the email to suit your personality.
Good to meet you here.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan, very good point you raise. In order to get yourself known out there it is imperative that you are unique. You must do things that stand out from all the rest. Doing things your way instead of their way will give you premium quality overall. Terry Conti
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
@Terry Conti,
Hi Terry,
Good to meet you here on the 100 post challenge.
So true we do need to stand out from the crowds and be ourselves.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
I so know what you mean. I hate that they done even make it their own.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
@Amy Steelman-Prueter,
Hi Amy,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Good tomeet you here.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan
I am racing Jacinta in the blog comments challenge and she keeps beating me too it.
I hold my hands up, I used to send those dirty horrid lil promo emails, but now I try and change them around a bit.
In fact, I pretty much rip them apart now.
Your post is spot on, you certainly need to set yourself apart and stand out from the crowd.
Sally
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
@Sally @ blog hopping queen,
Hi Sally,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Jacinta is quite the go getter…I am so glad you invited me to join this challenge.
I am on one of your lists.
As you get the experience that would be the bet way to go.
Good to meet you here.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi, Bryan,
You are completely right about getting the exact same email from 9 different people! I no longer open certain emails because of that. I guess unsubscribing is the better option..LOL..They are NOT getting my money! You have very useful info to help us be more successful. Thank you, so much!
Glad to meet you.
Fran T
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
@Fran T,
Hi Fran,
Good to meet you here on this 100 post challenge.
As Sally commented(above your’s)she pulls them apart…as we get more experienc we can do the same.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Bryan
Short and sweet post but makes a very good point. It always makes me laugh on launch day when I get numerous e-mails with the same subject and body as people are too lazy to personalise or change the material provided, I am not sure whether the marketers dont care as they make so much money or if they think that we dont notice!!
Either way the key to developing a list and retaining subscribers is to interact with them and also to offer something different. So if you are promoting a product at least differentiate yourself with some different copy which is unique!!
Thanks for the useful reminder….
Tom
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
@Tom Harvey @ Tom-Harvey.com,
Hi Tom,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Thanks also for the twitter request…have responded.
Agree…there are too many lazy people in the IM field who expect return without effort.
Good to meet you here.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Bryan:
I have seen this lately with the last couple of product launches.
I have to admit that when I first started I also just copied and pasted the recommended email in my autoresponder and sent it out to my subscribers.
At the time I didn’t think to much about it until I received the same email from several other marketers.
Great post!
- Rick
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
@Rick Byrd @ MarketingWithRick.com,
Hello Rick,
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
When we first start out we really do not realise the damage we do to our marketing..cause no one points them out.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
I’ve not opened my emails for days now, (I’ve been so focused on completeing the challenge)
you can guarantee when I do it will be full of duplicate offers, most won’t of even bothered to change the header never mind the content. I may open one but the rest go straight into the recycle bin.
Enjoy the challenge
Michelle
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 7:42 am
@Michelle,
G’day Michelle,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
You can be sure of that…we have had a couple of big launches recently.
Good to meet you here on the challenge…it has been awesome.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
You’ve got that right. In marketing and in any aspect of life, you’ll find the most success and fulfillment if you BE YOURSELF. Take the time to create your own unique marketing materials: the benefits will far outweigh the time it took to create them.
Peace,
Lauren
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 7:44 am
@Lauren Lionheart,
G;day Lauren,
Good to meet you here on the 100 post challenge:-)
You are so correct…and it does not take a great effort either.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
You said it – short and sweet! Be original! Make it so others want to imitate YOU! Especially in marketing, your name can get around pretty fast in IM and you don’t want to taint yourself.
Gwen
via 100 Comments Challenge
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
@Gwen Tanner@Product Creation Blog,
G’day Gwen,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
I do doubt the effectiveness of long drawn out sales pages which is one of the reasons I like to get to the point without too much fluff….notice I said too much,,,sure you do need a bit of it:-)
Good to meet you here on the 100 post blog challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
I totally agree with you about the copycat emails…what’s worse is when they copy the title, too. You open your email and there’s 8 or 10 emails from different marketers with the same title. I immediately delete them no matter if I’m interested (from the title) or not.
I feel like if the marketer can’t make it a little more personal, he doesn’t need me buying through his link.
Thanks for the post. It was good to meet you.
Cheers,
Kat
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
@Kat@eBayLearningBlog, selling cars on eBay motors, selling on eBay, learning to sell on eBay, learning to eBay,
G’day Kat,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Great idea…don’t buy through his link..:-)
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan
Well we’ve all been there and done that, at least once-or is it just me
I think that the more you do online, the more the reality dawns that you need to be different.
And that’s the point though.
Experience counts and of course, how do we all get that? It takes time.
Best wishes
Mike
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
@Mike Calmot,
G’day Mike,
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
Experienc sure does count…the reason for the post.
If I can save someone from making the same mistakes I have made ….
I will let them know.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan, There is nothing I hate more than getting the emails like you state. I now get over 2500 mailings a month (due to research) of which over 75% hit the bin simply because of lack in originality (same sales pages/links etc)
I deal with a select few who bring these new products etc with their own slant, even if the graphics are the same a new text pitch has been adapted. Also I never buy on the first mailings, i leave it a day or so when I am able as this enables other marketers to adapt their sales pages and normally add a decent bonus or two. Thanks for a really good post.
Keith
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
@Keith Alston,
G’day Keith,
Wow that is a large percentage that get deleted.
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your thoughts.
Cheers
bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan
It doesn’t take long to write your own promo emails so that you can add your own thoughts on the product your promoting – your subscribers will prefer it and prefer you to the copy cats. I no I would.
Nice to meet you
Regards
Dawn Kay
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:25 am
@Dawn Kay,
G’day Dawn,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
So true…it does not take much to put your personality to the promotion.
Good to meet you.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
I totally agree with you on that one there’s nothing worse to see all those emails in your inbox all saying the same thing to the word I have gotten them from time to time and hate it then delete them. Have a good one.
Enjoy the Challenge.
Mike
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 1:34 pm
@Mike Fleming,
G’day Mike,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Does not take much to change things a bit.
Good to meet you you.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
You make a very good point about not being a copy cat when it comes to email marketing emails.
However, some launches are promoted by just about everybody and their cat and in those cases even having your own promotional material doesn’t help a great deal.
When I get a lot of emails about a launch it doesn’t matter what promotional material is used. I just don’t bother reading it after opening a few of those emails.
No matter how it is worded I can still recognize that the same product is being promoted.
Vance
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 2:12 pm
@Vance@John Chow’s Last Dot Com,
G’day Vance,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
So true…when there is a big launch everyone seems to get in the act.
Good to meet you here at the challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
I’ve learned to see that everything online comes into being bought with rights or recycled some way because after all, it’s information, none of it is really ours, only our experience is. So taking out the time to inspect what you put out with your name is really one big advantage. You’re right, it can be frightening to see so many copying you. Thanks for the advice and I’ll see beyond the 100th comments!
Thu
[Reply]
admin Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 8:00 pm
@Thu Nguyen@BloggingFor,
G’day Thu,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
If we hope to succeed in the IM world we really need to stand out as individuals and be ourselves not a clone of someone else. But we all do have to start somewhere.
Good to meet you here on the blog challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Having your own unique presence or style is certainly a big plus in the IM niche. It is hardly a niche anymore with so many having a crack at it. So it is now even more important to carve out a corner and brand it with yourself. Michael.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 8:17 am
@Michael Pedzotti@software tools for bloggers,
Hello Mike,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
It is very crowded here in the IM field…and as you say it is important to have your own style.
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan!
Excellent point you make here about being a copy cat. Too often people take the “easy” way out, instead of writing their own unique copy. Being unique and writing things in your own voice is a hugely important part of connecting with your ideal customer, so why jeopardize that just to make it a little quicker?
[Reply]
admin Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 8:19 am
@Jess Webb,
G’day Jess,
Good to meet you here on the challenge.
Sure as you say it does not take too much effort to do it your way the first time.
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]
Hi Bryan,
For some reason, I keep thinking I came and left you a message a while ago… Anyway, I do agree that we need to figure out our own unique campaigns for marketing a product. I have found that when a creative idea comes up that is different, people tend to suppress it because they think its wacky.;bad move. If it is not a dangerous idea, it could be the approach that draws attention… to your product. Great point.
Stopped by on my 11th hour visit for the 100 comment challenge.
Best,
Elizabeth
[Reply]
admin Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 12:38 pm
@ElizOF,
G’day Elizabeth,
Thanks for calling over and leaving your comments.
That is so true.. we need to try to be different from the masses out there.
This has been an awesome experience the 100 post challenge.
Good to meet you here.
Cheers
Bryan
[Reply]